The use of intravenous (IV) bags in the administration of fluids to patients is well-known. A typical IV bag is made from a shell which defines a single fluidic compartment. Attached to the shell is a fluidic outlet in fluidic communications with the compartment and to which may be attached an IV line, using any standard attaching mechanism, such as any IV infusion set designed for either gravity or pump driven delivery.
It is often desirable to administer a combination of fluids to a patient. This is typically employed by using a respective IV bag for each fluid, and then connecting the respective IV line from each bag to a junction at which the two fluids combine to form a resultant mixture. An IV line from the junction then runs to the patient. This arrangement may be satisfactory for fluids that readily mix with each other, but is unsatisfactory for fluids that do not so readily mix, such as, for example, a particularly viscous fluid with another fluid. It also requires extra materials, such as the junction.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a single IV bag that permits a practitioner to administer to a patient a mixture of two fluids that are kept separated until just prior to administration.